Southern California -- this just in

Carmageddon too? Venice Boulevard to close Sunday for triathlon

September 28, 2012 | 12:35
pm

It's not just a key north-south portion of the 405 Freeway that will close this weekend during Carmageddon II. Venice Boulevard, a popular east-west route, will be shut down from the beach to downtown L.A. for much of Sunday to accommodate about 2,500 participants in a triathlon.

The dual closures promise travel headaches for the unprepared, and Los Angeles Councilman Bill Rosendahl on Friday urged motorists to plan and to be patient.

From Friday night until Monday morning, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will close the 405 between the 10 and the 101 freeways so that workers may finish demolishing the Mulholland Drive bridge as part of the $1-billion project to add a 10-mile carpool lane through the Sepulveda Pass.

Meanwhile, on Sunday morning, about 2,500 athletes are expected to take part in the Herbalife Triathlon Los Angeles, an event that was planned long before the Carmageddon weekend was announced. The event will begin in the water off Venice Beach, then migrate to Venice Boulevard.

The Los Angeles Department of Transportation will close Venice Boulevard from 7 a.m. to about 1:30 p.m. Sunday as athletes make their way east to the ending point: L.A. Live in downtown Los Angeles.

City transportation officials have warned that people driving toward the triathlon course between 3 and 11 a.m. can expect detours. They suggest people take shuttles or use Washington, Olympic or Pico boulevards or the 10 Freeway. For those heading north or south, they recommend Sepulveda or Lincoln boulevard or Centinela Avenue.

Residents and visitors parked along the triathlon route should watch for temporary "no parking" signs to avoid citations and tows. The cycling and running portions of the triathlon will be operated in three sectors, with streets closing and opening in waves as the competitors move from Venice to downtown. Police and traffic officers will be on hand to keep vehicles from crossing the course.